Introduction to Public Health Funding Cuts
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has rescinded hundreds of millions of dollars for public health work across New York City and New York state. The cuts are part of a larger decision by HHS to cancel more than $11.4 billion in CDC grants for local health departments and other recipients. The department has also cancelled about $1 billion in grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Impact on New York City and State
HHS notified the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Tuesday of the termination of more than $100 million in grants for infectious disease prevention and surveillance work, “effective immediately,” agency spokesperson Chantal Gomez said in a statement. The Health Department, which has a $2 billion operating budget, also receives about $600 million in funding from the federal government. At the state level, HHS notified New York on Tuesday of more than $300 million in cuts to funding for the Department of Health, Office of Addiction Supports and Services, and Office of Mental Health, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
Effects on Public Health Systems
“These include funds that county health departments across New York are planning to use to fight disease and keep people safe,” Hochul said. “At a time when New York is facing an ongoing opioid epidemic, multiple confirmed cases of measles, and an ongoing mental health crisis, these cuts will be devastating.” Recent weeks have been destabilizing for the nation’s public health systems. Scores of federal health workers have been terminated and HHS is significantly restructuring its work, with further layoffs anticipated. The National Institutes of Health recently canceled millions of dollars in research grants, while House Republicans are pursuing $880 billion in federal cuts over the next decade, which local leaders fear could gut Medicaid.
Health Department Anticipated Cuts
City health officials had been bracing for the loss of federal funding. During a budget hearing at City Hall on Monday — before the HHS notification — acting health commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse raised concerns about the threat of federal funding cuts and urged support for her agency’s work. “We’re entering a public health funding bust, while facing unique infectious disease threats and insecurity in our federal funding under the current administration,” she told city lawmakers. The majority of the Health Department’s $600 million in federal funding goes toward public health surveillance, infectious disease outbreak prevention and emergency preparedness, which Morse described as among the agency’s “core activities.”
Preparations for Funding Reductions
Part of that money was set to expire in the coming years, according to city health officials. Aaron Anderson, the agency’s chief financial officer, testified on Monday that the agency had about $200 million related to Covid funding budgeted for the current and coming fiscal years. One major grant, for the detection and prevention of infectious diseases, was expected to end in the summer of 2026, and another, for vaccination and immunization work, was expected to end in the summer of 2027. The agency had started to prepare for funding reductions, including by working with the city’s Office of Management and Budget on how to protect its surveillance, vaccination and testing work, officials said.
Conclusion
The cuts to public health funding in New York City and state will have significant impacts on the ability to respond to public health threats. The city’s cuts affect federal grants that had been extended recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and were expected to end in 2026 and 2027, according to Gomez. The grants supported Covid prevention work, infectious disease outbreak detection, and rapid testing capabilities, as well as vaccination education and community outreach efforts for flu, Covid and RSV. With the state budget process underway, Morse and local health advocates have also called for the restoration of New York City’s full Article 6 funding — state reimbursement for core public health work — which former Gov. Andrew Cuomo cut in 2019.
FAQs
Q: How much funding has been cut from New York City and state public health programs?
A: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has rescinded hundreds of millions of dollars for public health work across New York City and New York state, including over $100 million in grants for infectious disease prevention and surveillance work in New York City and over $300 million in cuts to funding for the Department of Health, Office of Addiction Supports and Services, and Office of Mental Health at the state level.
Q: What programs will be affected by the funding cuts?
A: The funding cuts will affect a range of public health programs, including infectious disease prevention and surveillance, Covid prevention work, infectious disease outbreak detection, and rapid testing capabilities, as well as vaccination education and community outreach efforts for flu, Covid and RSV.
Q: How will the funding cuts impact public health in New York City and state?
A: The funding cuts will have significant impacts on the ability to respond to public health threats, including the ongoing opioid epidemic, multiple confirmed cases of measles, and an ongoing mental health crisis. The cuts will also affect the city’s ability to detect and prevent infectious diseases, and to provide vaccination education and community outreach efforts.
